 |
Father James
Fennessy
Photo by Michael Alexander |
BY BETTY SCHOENBAECHLER
Special To The Bulletin
LILBURN--Located just off a winding road in southeast Gwinnett County, St.
John Neumann Church (SJN) is partially hidden behind hardwoods and evergreens.
Its rustic cedar trim and natural granite walls give the building a welcoming
appearance and the strong sense of the Holy Spirit within makes parishioners
and visitors alike feel at home.
Even though the church membership is huge--3,120 families with an estimated
12,000 people--parishioners do make lasting friendships and feel very much a
part of the church community.
“This is a church with many communities within communities,” said
Father James Fennessy, the pastor. “The various ministries and
organizations available here give people the opportunity to serve and to become
an integral part of the parish. Because of these ministries, and hopefully
through the small groups forming because of RENEW 2000, the church becomes
smaller--not in numbers, but in the sense that this is a loving and supportive
community.”
The parish began when a group of 200 met at Lilburn City Hall in August 1977
and unanimously selected the church’s name after a new saint, the former
bishop of Philadelphia. Weekend Masses were held at Parkview High School and
holy day Masses were celebrated at nearby Lutheran and Presbyterian churches.
Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan dedicated the church and hall on Dec. 16,
1979. Father Paul Reynolds, then pastor, borrowed the actual chalice used by
St. John Neumann in his celebration of the Eucharist more than 125 years
before.
The parish had already met growth projections estimated for 1990. As
Gwinnett County grew, so did St. John Neumann, and at one point the parish had
nearly 4,000 families. In 1992 the parish sponsored a mission in Lawrenceville,
St. Marguerite D’Youville, which just dedicated its own church building.
In 1994 another mission was formed, St. Stephen the Martyr.
Despite the missions, SJN has remained a very large parish. Currently SJN
has nine Masses each weekend and supports two at St. Stephen’s. At 9 and
10:30 a.m., there are two services going on simultaneously. Each Mass is unique
and has regulars who attend.
At the heart of the parish are more than 40 different ministries and
organizations in which a parishioner can serve. Each falls under one of four
commissions: Parish Life, Spiritual Life, Education and Human Concerns.
Representatives from each commission are elected to serve on the parish
council, which meets quarterly or as needed.
Council President Jerry Monda said that being involved in one or more
ministries is the key to finding a community. “For me personally, I have
always felt I belonged here. When we moved here, the church still met at
Parkview High School. From the first day, the parishioners we met were very
warm, loving and open to us.”
Father Fennessy became pastor in 1991. He and parochial vicars, Father
Michael Campbell, Father Craig David and Father Patrick Donaghey, said they
have felt loved and supported by parishioners.
The pastor said many people seek a sense of community through church
ministries because it is a way to put their faith to work.
“The reason we have these ministries is we have people willing to serve
and they serve because of their faith in Christ,” the pastor said.
“At St. John Neumann and throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta, we have a
lot of young families who have moved here because of work,” he added.
“Many of their extended families live hundreds of miles away and one of
the ways they can be family to one another is by forming groups and becoming
involved in ministries. These faith families that are formed don’t
necessarily replace their actual families, but they do replace some of the
functions of their families.”
From the Mom’s Circle to the Financial Committee and from the Rosary
Makers to AIDS ministry, there are groups that fit just about every niche. One
that touches parishioners on a weekly basis is music.
“The real neat thing about this church is there is a place for almost
everybody in terms of music,” said music director Alan Brown, who
described how some of the musicians serving the church like contemporary music
and others favor the more traditional hymns. But they all share a common bond
of a deep spirituality. “Every parishioner can expect one hundred percent
out of the musicians who lead them in their prayer experience each week,”
Brown said. “They are not just singing, they are leading actual
prayer.”
The Donnellan Hall Singers, led by Mike Webb, handle all the music that
takes place in the hall located in the SJN regional school. The church has a
new 9 a.m. ensemble led by Mary Lou Schawner that plays contemporary Christian
hymns. The Life Teen Singers select contemporary Christian music that appeals
to teenagers, said Brown. The group is led by Mary Marder. The Hispanic Choir,
led by Miriam Hobbs, blends traditional Mexican songs with music of the
Caribbean for a lively worship service.
Brown leads the church choir, which will be going to Rome in February. The
church also has two children’s choirs, a primary choir for kindergarten
through second grade and one for grades three through six. Susan McQuade
coordinates the children’s ministry.
Religious education at SJN is a family-building, community-wide effort, said
director Sharon Lynn Osborne. This year the church has 900 children enrolled in
classes for preschoolers through eighth grade. The sacramental preparation
classes are scripturally based and involve parents as well as children.
Confirmation candidates follow the Christian initiation model which includes
retreats, Scripture study and service.
“We encourage the parents not to rely on class attendance for their
children’s religious education, but to bring them to Mass on Sunday and to
live out their faith on a daily basis,” Osborne said.
RENEW 2000 is the main focus for adult education. More than 800 parishioners
are enrolled, including 125 teenagers and 60 members of the Hispanic community.
Susan Schaefer, adult education coordinator, said there are 58 groups in the
first six-week session. She expects more to sign up for Season II which begins
Feb. 14.
SJN youth minister Amy Williams said the teenagers are very enthusiastic
about RENEW and the Life Teen program.
“I love these teens. They are very strong in their faith walk. I was
nowhere near where they are spiritually when I was their age. Most of the time
I feel like I’m the one being ministered to,” she said.
The teens participate as lectors, ushers, eucharistic ministers and through
the music ministry. High school students meet on Sunday nights for RENEW. On
Wednesdays they meet for Pizza and Prayer. On the first Wednesday of the month,
about 50 pray the rosary with members of the pro-life community. On other
Wednesdays, the group sings praise and worship music and one of the volunteers,
Barbara Suwak, leads a discussion about the next Sunday’s readings.
The Hispanic ministry is more than a community within St. John Neumann. This
thriving ministry has grown from a monthly Mass to a complete, Hispanic church
within the parish. Father Sergio Calle-Perez, based out of St. Marguerite
D’Youville, celebrates Sunday Mass in Spanish at SJN at 1:30 p.m. Between
400 and 450 attend regularly.
The ministry started at the request of Sister Pilar Dalmau, who was in
charge of the Hispanic Apostolate in the archdiocese more than 10 years ago.
Deacon Rafael Cintron and his wife, Nilsa, were visiting a cancer patient and
noticed many Hispanics living in the area. They began teaching CCD classes in
homes and inviting people to the monthly Hispanic Mass.
Seven years ago the church began offering weekly Masses in Spanish, with
Mrs. Cintron teaching CCD each Sunday at noon. Now between 150 and 180
Spanish-speaking students attend nine religious education classes taught by 18
dedicated volunteers. There are 13 ministries within the Hispanic community,
with 60 different leaders. “The families here are absolutely outstanding
and very hard working,” said Deacon Cintron. “There were a lot of
Hispanic people who were not attending church, but because of the home visits
by volunteers and friends telling friends about Mass, the ministry has
grown.”
Father Calle-Perez has added youth and young adult groups, a prayer group
and a radio program for Radio MEX, AM 610, that airs four days a week.
“The support from the parishioners, staff and clergy at SJN has been
significant,” Deacon Cintron said. “We have worked very closely with
the church staff and whatever we need is provided.”
The parish has its own newspaper, The Neumann News, which has been
published for 13 years, edited by Atlanta Journal/Constitution business
reporter Andy Miller. The paper provides news from parish organizations,
profiles and reports, using a staff of volunteer writers, editors, designers
and photographers.
Joanne Walding, administrative support, has just redesigned the
parish’s web page, which provides information about church activities,
links to other Catholic sites and a puzzle page for children. The entire church
bulletin is on the site. It can be reached at: www.sjnlilburn.org.
Another active organization is the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which helps
the poor in the Lilburn area. “We get a wide range of calls for
help,” said Brian Lynch, president. “We have three voice mail boxes
at the church and when someone calls for assistance, we usually respond within
24 to 48 hours. The type of help ranges from paying a $20 water bill to finding
psychological help or filling a prescription for an elderly person.”
About 20 SJN parishioners volunteer to do home visits. They always travel in
pairs and often have to make some tough judgment calls. St. Vincent de Paul has
150 families who assist with managing the Thrift Store on Highway 29 and who
help coordinate the Thanksgiving and Christmas programs. “Our parish is
unbelievably generous,” Lynch said. “During the last fiscal year, we
helped 115 families with their special needs and provided food and aid for 150
families at both Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Although not actually affiliated, SJN shares some facilities with St. John
Neumann Regional Catholic School. The church uses some classrooms for religious
education classes and the Donnellan Hall for Sunday Mass. The school uses the
church for school liturgies and programs. Many SJNRCS students are members of
the parish, but since it is a regional school, students come from many parishes
in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.
The size of the parish is SJN’s biggest drawback. The church only seats
approximately 525 people, so during Christmas and Easter there are three
standing room only services happening simultaneously. Despite the numbers, SJN
manages to keep a strong sense of community because of the commitment of
parishioners and clergy. Parish Council President Monda’s feelings about
the church are shared by others. “There’s something very special
about being at Mass here at St. John Neumann. Now that I’m retired, we do
a lot of traveling and have been to Masses all over the world. When we first
moved here, we could have lived anywhere in Atlanta, but God put us right here.
Now, I wouldn’t live anywhere else. This parish is home.”
|
